covering all things fiscal cliff. as we are ticking down to 2013 we are also ticking down to the deadline is set up by politicians here in washington. it deadline that was supposed to be so unapeeling they would not -- unappealing they would not get near the sequester and across-the-board cuts and tax hikes that would ensue, the expiration of the bush era tax cuts. here we are just about two hours away and joining me on the phone, a.b. stoddard with the hill. your take of all of this and how this s developing? >> bret, i'm not surprised that people are scrambling to try to get it done. not going to make the cliff deadline but there is an attempt by republicans and democrats to get something done before this really becomes meaningful and there is a few hours into the january 1 and 2 dates where they can still stop something severe from happening. you heard today the beginning of the spin from the republican side from senator mitch mcconnell the republican leader on the senate side saying this is is the most important t